Web Survey Targets Queer Youth

Share

Web Survey Targets Queer Youth

An ambitious survey of gay, lesbian, transgender, and "questioning" youth online was launched this week by Oasis magazine and OutProud, a national advocacy group. The 150-question survey - which is co-sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, and XY magazine - aims to build the most comprehensive picture of gay teen Net surfers to date.

The survey will be advertised inXY and Oasis, on America Online, and on the Web. A report based on the results - which will inevitably be skewed toward portraying youths who are willing to answer lengthy online questionnaires - is scheduled to be released in January. By taking advantage of the built-in anonymity of the online world, the researchers hope to mine information from young people who would not be reached by offline surveys - such as those who are still in the closet.

"In a gay youth group setting, people have already taken a big step in coming out," Oasis editor and publisher Jeff Walsh told Wired News. "There's a certain amount of mainstreaming that happens as kids take the different paths into gay life. Once you get into a role as a gay activist, your answers would be different."

The survey probes respondents about their family lives and friendships, participation in online communities, religious upbringing, sexual practices, AIDS awareness, familiarity with gay media and organizations, and self-esteem. The impact of pop cultural milestones is also factored in: there are four questions about the "coming out" episode of Ellen alone.

Prepared with the assistance of scholars from the University of San Francisco, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the questionnaire was initially conceived as a marketing survey for Oasis - which claims an online readership of 35,000 monthly - but was ramped up into its present ambitious form "because we saw an opportunity to do something that has never been done before," Walsh said. (At least one of the survey questions seems to be left over from the initial plan: "Are you aware that the longest-running magazine for queer and questioning youth - Oasis - is on the Web?")

Denny Lee of the ACLU's Lesbian and Gay Rights Project said the survey will help his organization "figure out how to allocate resources, and know what needs bolstering." The ACLU has filed lawsuits defending the rights of gay youths, challenged the banning of books like Janice Rench's Understanding Sexual Identity by local school boards, promoted the founding of gay students' unions, and assisted in drawing up anti-bias guidelines for educators.

"The Net has provided a safe haven for queer and questioning youth because of the anonymity and progressive disclosure possible online. With this survey, we hope to amplify their voice," Chris Kryzan of OutProud said. Kryzan acknowledged that that same anonymity makes person-by-person verification of survey results impossible, but said he hopes that the sheer volume of replies, coupled with cross-checking of responses designed to snare "outright liars," will yield a valuable store of information.